Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bethlehem, PA and Alesund

For one person, living is cheaper in Alesund: $2,329 a month against $2,630 in Bethlehem, PA, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bethlehem, PA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

127

Cost of Living Index in Bethlehem, PA
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Bethlehem, PA Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Alesund
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Alesund Living Index

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Bethlehem, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,630

/mo nomad

Alesund

🇳🇴 Norway

$2,329

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Bethlehem, PA and in Alesund

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bethlehem, PA and in Alesund actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,630 per month in Bethlehem, PA vs $2,329 in Alesund, rent included.

Bethlehem, PA $2,630
Alesund $2,329

A couple spends around $3,712 per month in Bethlehem, PA vs $3,663 in Alesund, rent included.

Bethlehem, PA $3,712
Alesund $3,663

A family of three spends $4,794 per month in Bethlehem, PA vs $4,997 in Alesund, rent included.

Bethlehem, PA $4,794
Alesund $4,997

Bethlehem, PA costs about 13% more than Alesund, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Bethlehem, PA and Alesund sit above the global median – Bethlehem, PA by 95%, Alesund by 72%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.12 $18.12

$21.26 NOK 200

-14.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.4 $50.4

$88.8 NOK 836

-43.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.18 $13.18

$13.23 NOK 125

-0.38%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$4.07 NOK 38.31

23.83%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.08 NOK 19.55

42.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.35 NOK 22.12

-15.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.22 $5.22

$11.33 NOK 107

-53.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.14 $8.14

$9.62 NOK 90.6

-15.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$2.21 NOK 20.78

-47.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.04 NOK 28.64

27.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.08 NOK 28.99

26.95%

Eggs

$4.06 $4.06

$4.38 NOK 41.27

-7.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.17 $12.17

$14.88 NOK 140

-18.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.53 $16.53

$13.80 NOK 130

19.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.47 $18.47

$20.84 NOK 196

-11.37%

Apples (1kg)

$6.29 $6.29

$2.63 NOK 24.72

139.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$2.27 NOK 21.34

-41.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$2.26 NOK 21.28

78.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$3.66 NOK 34.46

17.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.45 NOK 23.10

-8.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.54 NOK 14.45

70.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 $2.71

$3.00 NOK 28.19

-9.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.82 NOK 17.11

0.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.67 $9.67

$14.98 NOK 141

-35.45%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.69 $17.69

$18.89 NOK 178

-6.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$3.48 NOK 32.73

-49.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 $6.86

$3.93 NOK 36.99

74.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.07 NOK 47.76

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.3 NOK 822

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.90 $4.90

$12.15 NOK 114

-59.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.91 NOK 18.03

58.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.21 $35.21

$73.0 NOK 687

-51.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$2.19 NOK 20.59

-57.53%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$22.6K $22.6K

$48.5K NOK 456.6K

-53.46%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$24.3K $24.3K

$42.8K NOK 402.5K

-43.21%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$203 $203

$285 NOK 2,683

-28.93%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$39.54 $39.54

$32.82 NOK 309

20.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.2 $79.2

$59.2 NOK 557

33.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.73 $36.73

$58.6 NOK 552

-37.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.12 NOK 293

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

$17.43 NOK 164

-13.02%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,004 $1,004

$235 NOK 2,209

327.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$64.9K $64.9K

$2,542 NOK 23.9K

2452.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 $53.3

$86.7 NOK 816

-38.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.05 $30.05

$45.43 NOK 428

-33.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.1 $66.1

$115 NOK 1,082

-42.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.2 $84.2

$139 NOK 1,312

-39.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,561 $1,561

$1,090 NOK 10.3K

43.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 $1,373

$783 NOK 7,368

75.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,225 $2,225

$1,159 NOK 10.9K

92.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 $2,155

$1,615 NOK 15.2K

33.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,149 $2,149

$4,476 NOK 42.1K

-52.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,123 $2,123

$2,399 NOK 22.6K

-11.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,507 $3,507

$4,224 NOK 39.8K

-16.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

4.22

54.03%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Bethlehem, PA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Alesund: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Bethlehem, PA

$1.4K 52.2%

Alesund

$783 33.6% 43% $590

Groceries & Markets

Bethlehem, PA

$437 16.6%

Alesund

$420 18% 3.8% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bethlehem, PA

$321 12.2%

Alesund

$377 16.2% 17.4% $56

Eating Out

Bethlehem, PA

$307 11.7%

Alesund

$352 15.1% 14.6% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Bethlehem, PA

$105 4%

Alesund

$174 7.5% 65.4% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Bethlehem, PA

$67 2.6%

Alesund

$93 4% 39.3% $26

Getting Around

Bethlehem, PA

$20 * 0.8%

Alesund

$129 5.6% 545% $109

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,561 in Bethlehem, PA versus $1,090 in Alesund. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 20% higher in Alesund, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Bethlehem, PA versus $89.0 in Alesund. Groceries tell a different story – $437 in Bethlehem, PA vs $420 in Alesund – so Alesund wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bethlehem, PA

🇳🇴 Alesund

🕒 Local time

08:34 8:34 AM

14:34 2:34 PM

6 h ahead of Bethlehem, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,624

58,683

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Norwegian Krone NOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

100 NOK = 10.62 USD

100 NOK = 9.45 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇳🇴 Norwegian Krone (kr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

NOK to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bethlehem, PA Alesund 5,690 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Bethlehem, PA
Alesund

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Bethlehem, PA vs Alesund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,630 in Bethlehem, PA, $2,329 in Alesund – roughly 13% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,945 per month in Bethlehem, PA and $3,493 in Alesund. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alesund, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $50.0 in Bethlehem, PA and $89.0 in Alesund. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 4% more in Bethlehem, PA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Alesund, where all-in costs run around $2,329, than in Bethlehem, PA at $2,630. In Alesund it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bethlehem, PA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Alesund has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,329 in Alesund to $2,630 in Bethlehem, PA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Alesund. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bethlehem, PA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.